


sand, sea, sun

by Serie11



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, First Dates, Fluff, Kairi Lives, Minor Naminé/Xion (Kingdom Hearts), Multi, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sora Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 05:01:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18958408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serie11/pseuds/Serie11
Summary: Riku attempts to extract Kairi and Sora from their houses in order to get to their first 'official' date. However, their parents might have another opinion on how things will go.





	sand, sea, sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WorldofValdis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorldofValdis/gifts).



Riku holds the gate awkwardly between two fingers, swinging it back and forth in tiny arcs. The gate makes a tiny screeching noise with each movement, giving sound to Riku’s uncertainty. This is dumb. He’s been through this gate about a thousand times before – scratch that, more than a thousand. There’s not anything _different_ about this time. Nothing at all.

He looks up at the two storey building, and takes a deep breath before pushing the gate open determinedly, walking forward like he’s confident about being here. He’s faced down countless enemies, but the front door is somehow more daunting than any of them. He knocks, and congratulates himself on the bravest thing he’s ever done.

“Riku? Is that you?”

Kairi’s voice rings out through the door, and Riku’s breath rushes all out of him. He pushes the door open and stands uneasily at the landing at the bottom of the stairs, unsure if he’s allowed to go up. You’re not supposed to see the other person before the date, right? Or maybe that’s just for weddings. He doesn’t know. He’s never been on a date before.

“Ah, Riku! Hello.”

Riku resists the urge to gulp and turns towards the voice. Kairi’s dad stands in the doorway to the kitchen, an apron tied around his waist. He must be cooking whatever it is that Riku can smell.

“Hi Ken,” Riku says awkwardly. “How... are you?”

“Ah, as fine as I can be considering my little girl is going on her first official date,” he says fondly. “All three of them are upstairs – I’m sure they won’t mind if you head on up.”

_Three?_ Riku thinks to himself, but carefully treads up the stairs instead of asking. The second stair from the top creaks like he remembers it always has, and a peal of laughter suddenly cuts off from inside Kairi’s bedroom.

Riku knocks on her door, then resists the urge to smack himself for it. He decides to say something instead. “Kairi? I’m here.”

The door opens and Kairi pouts at him, her eyebrows crinkled adorably. Riku thinks he falls in love with her a little more every time he sees her.

“You’re early!” she accuses him. Riku clears his throat but she just grabs his arm and drags him inside her room, shutting her door behind them.

Naminé and Xion are lying on her bed. Naminé waves while Xion grins at him.

“Boyfriend number one is here!” she says.

“You look nice,” Naminé compliments him quietly. Riku smiles at her in thanks.

“When’s Sora getting here?” Xion asks. Riku watches as Kairi pulls out a shirt from her wardrobe and examine it critically, before throwing it on top of an alarmingly large pile of clothes on the floor.

“We’re picking Sora up,” Kairi tells her. “He’s been out fishing all morning with his dad.”

“Do you think he’s patient enough to fish normally?” Riku asks the room.

Kairi laughs. “No way! I bet he’s out there using all his water spells as we speak.”

“I hope it’s not as we speak,” Naminé comments. “Otherwise he’s not going to be ready in time.”

“Riku is early,” Kairi says.

Riku clears his throat. “I just wanted to make sure that I got here on time.”

Xion and Naminé giggle. “What’s going to be able to stand in your way, oh Keyblade Master?” Xion asks. “Or should we be worried about the mighty threat on the island?”

“No, everything’s fine,” Riku reassures them.

“Good,” Kairi says. “Because _nothing_ is getting in the way of my date.” She picks up the tenth shirt since Riku walked in and stares at it before finally nodding. “Okay, I got my outfit sorted. Naminé, Xion, can you take Riku downstairs and entertain him while I have my shower?”

“Of course,” Naminé says. She and Xion stand up and link an arm around each of Riku’s arms, and Riku splutters as they drag him outside and down the stairs, depositing him at the dining room table. It would be less embarrassing if it weren’t for Kairi’s laugh echoing after them. Riku leans back in his chair and decides that if Kairi’s laughing, then he suppose he can deal with it.

“So…” Riku says. “What are you guys up to this afternoon?”

“Roxas and Lea are _still_ fighting over which apartment they want to rent, and since I don’t really care I’m just here to let them have their space. If they still haven’t decided by the time I get back tonight, I’m just going to drag them out on their ears,” Xion says. “Until then, Naminé has graciously allowed me to come over. And then we got called in to help Kairi pick out her outfit.”

“We’re just going on a picnic,” Riku says. “She doesn’t have to get all… dressed up.”

“You’re wearing something nice though,” Naminé points out.

Riku tugs at his shirt. It’s a button up, and this is probably the second time he can remember wearing one. It’s not uncomfortable, just… strange.

“Thanks,” Riku replies, oddly touched. Naminé is living with Kairi and her dad now, but it’s still strange to just _talk_ to her. Sometimes Riku feels like he’s still stuck in that achingly long year, searching for a way to help Sora wake up, and resisting the ever present call to the islands, and to Kairi. He reaches for another conversation topic, something to anchor him in the now. He doesn’t want to be moody because he was thinking about the past. “So, do you have any… date tips?”

Xion and Naminé exchange a glance. “How many times have you done this exact same thing before?” Xion asks. “Like, just gone out and eaten lunch on the beach.”

“Well,” Riku hesitates. “More than once. A few times. A lot of times.”

“That’s what I thought,” Xion says, nodding. “Look, it isn’t going to be really different from those dates, right? And don’t try and make it different. It’s just you three, hanging out, being boyfriends who are dating each other and also both have the same girlfriend! Not that difficult to understand.”

“You already know Sora and Kairi,” Naminé cuts in. “It might be your first ‘official’ date but all of you are familiar with each other. Just treat it like any other time you would eat lunch together.”

Riku lets out a silent sigh. But it’s _not_ the same. That’s what’s bothering him. Before, he had this yearning in his chest, every time he looked at Sora or Kairi. Like they were twin stars, just out of reach, but blindingly brilliant in a way that meant that he could never escape their light. Now he just feels… warm around them. He doesn’t know what that means.

Naminé leans across the table and clasps one of his hands between her own. Riku meets her eyes.

“It truly isn’t that complicated,” she promises. “Just be yourself.”

Riku swallows the urge to say that his self isn’t good enough – he’s been through enough self-reflection lately to recognise that feeling is just an echo of the past. He knows who he is, and he knows that Sora and Kairi love him. He nods once at Naminé, and she grins at him.

Xion starts to tell him about the work that she and Roxas are doing around Twilight Town, now that the Heartless and Nobody population are dwindling. There’s no outside force prompting the creation of them anymore, and with a new generation of Keyblade wielders on the job there’s less and less enemies around all the time. Riku nods along, mostly paying attention but also listening for any sign that Kairi’s about to come downstairs.

Riku finally hears Kairi’s door opening, and he turns just in time to see her come down the stairs. There’s a clip in her hair that sparkles even in the low light, and she’s wearing a scoop top and three quarter jeans with her nice sandals. Riku blinks rapidly as he tries to take it all in.

“Ready to go!” Kairi says cheerfully. She comes up and puts a hand on Riku’s shoulder, and Riku stoically sits and stares at her while he blushes.

“Right,” Riku says, standing up and pushing his chair back, scraping it against the floor and making a screeching sound. He winces, and pretends not to see how the side of Kairi’s mouth edges up.

Kairi curls her arms around Riku and lays her head on his shoulder. “Thanks for helping me out with my outfit,” she tells Xion and Naminé. “I’ll see you guys around?”

“Of course,” Xion replies. Naminé waves at Riku.

“Good luck!”

“Ha, thanks,” Riku says bemusedly.

Ken sticks his head into the room from the kitchen. “Is that my baby girl? My darling, who is about to leave, without saying goodbye?”

“ _Dad_ ,” Kairi groans. “Why can’t you just say goodbye like a normal person?”

Ken swoops in and Kairi pries herself away from Riku’s side to give him a hug. Ken gives her what he was making in the kitchen – a basket. It looks hefty. Riku has his own supplies in his rucksack, but Kairi’s actual picnic basket makes his heart warm. She’s so cute.

“Now young man,” Ken says, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I want you to know that you’re protecting someone very precious to me. If anything happens to my Kairi, I will be very upset with you. I’d say something here about how I’d make you regret hurting her, but I think she has that covered if it ever came to anything like that.”

Kairi puts her hands over her face and makes a mortified sound.

“I’m sure you’re right,” Riku says. “And I know something about protecting precious people. I promise I’ll bring her back safely.”

This might have had more weight to it if Riku hadn’t half grown up in this house, but Ken still nods like they’re making a solemn vow to each other.

“Ahh, Riku lets go,” Kairi says. She grabs his hand and starts to drag him towards the door. “Bye Naminé, bye Xion!”

“See you around!” Riku calls over his shoulder as they leave the house. Kairi lets the door swing shut behind them, and lifts her head to the sky.

“Yes! Finally free,” she sighs. Riku squeezes her hand, and Kairi grins at him. “Now let’s go pick up Sora.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Riku says easily. The Destiny Islands are quiet during the day, most people either out on the ocean, in school, or inside to escape the heat. Even though Riku has always burned instead of tanning, he was almost always the first one outside and the last one back in. It always made his parents fret, but he’d loved the feeling of heat on his skin. That, and he’d always delighted in grossing Sora out by peeling off bits of skin and putting it on his desk at school.

Now, he can heal any sunburn he does get with a simple cure. While it’s strange to come back to the Islands after their journeys, what’s stranger is recognising that he has changed – he is not the boy that left, all those years ago. His ability to heal his own sunburn is only a pebble on the mountain of proof towards that.

“What cha thinking about?” Kairi asks.

“Just about how much we’ve changed,” Riku muses. “I never would have thought that we could have gotten here. As a kid, I was always so twisted up by how I felt about you and Sora… It never even occurred to me that we could just, all consider each other equally important.”

“That’s because you were a bit dumb as a kid,” Kairi says kindly. “But I think we all were – maybe all kids are. What matters is that we’ve worked things out.”

“You’re right,” Riku agrees. Kairi usually is. “I’m just… really glad that we made it through everything. It’s honestly like a dream come true.”

Kairi’s smile is like the sun he remembers, heating his skin just before it left its hot mark on him. Riku doesn’t mind if Kairi does that, too.

“You’re so sweet, Riku,” Kairi says fondly. “I sometimes think that no matter what, we would have all ended up together. We’ve been together for our whole lives… it just makes sense that we would continue. And I’m a princess, so I get to have my fairy tale ending!”

Riku can’t help but smile. “Of course, my lady. Is there anything else you’d like to request while we’re here?”

Kairi elbows him as they come to a stop outside Sora’s house. Riku hasn’t been inside since they came back from their adventure. Sora’s parents took his disappearance the hardest, and even though Kairi was here while he and Riku were out in other worlds, Sora’s parents know that both of them are connected to the reason that their son disappeared. They’ve never said it out loud, but Riku knows that they aren’t particularly welcome in Sora’s house. Maybe someday – but not yet.

Kairi raps on the door gently, and as soon as her hand touches the door it gets yanked open. Riku forcibly tames his prickly instincts and nods politely at Sora’s mother, who is staring at both of them with a strange mix of resentment and kindness. Riku thinks that she really does appreciate the role that they play in Sora’s life, but she’s still coming to terms with losing Sora – and then getting him back, but oh so changed.

“Kairi, Riku,” she says. “Sora and his father just got back from their fishing trip.”

“I’m almost ready!” Sora hollers from deeper inside the house. Riku hears something crash. Kairi winces.

“We should be back before the sun sets,” Riku says. A peace offering.

“I should hope so,” she says.

“We’re just going for a picnic,” Kairi explains.

“I know,” she says. “And –”

“I’m here!” Sora says, skidding to a stop beside his mother. “Let’s go, guys!”

“Not so fast, young man. I’m discussing things with these two.”

“We’ve been out by ourselves _so_ many times, mum. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

Riku sees her mouth flatten slightly, but lets Sora handle the situation. He’s probably the only one that she’ll listen to, anyway.

“I still do worry about you, though.”

Sora sighs quietly. “I know. But the islands aren’t dangerous anymore. We’re not even going to one of the smaller islands! We’ll be fine.”

Riku nods when she looks at him. Finally, she sighs.

“Very well. Have fun, all of you.”

“Yes!” Sora says excitedly. “But wait a second, because I need to grab my food.”

He darts back into the house, and Riku tries not to feel too awkward as they stand there under scrutiny. Sora jumps back out of the door, holding two containers and still grinning like a loon. Riku can only feel affection when he looks at him. “Okay, now I’m ready to go.”

“Have a nice afternoon,” Riku says politely.

“Thank you for letting Sora come out with us,” Kairi adds.

She sniffs. “I’ll see you all later.”

She closes the door, and Sora shoves between them, stuffing his containers in a pocket to have both hands free so he can hold theirs. Riku feels the grit of salt under his hands. Sora didn’t shower after he got back from fishing, and Riku would bet that’s because he didn’t want to waste any time before they could all start their date.

“It’s so great to see you two!” Sora says cheerfully. He sets a faster pace than Riku and Kairi had been walking before; the main island isn’t that big really, but the northern edge has less activity than the rest of the beaches, so that’s where they’re going.

“We saw you yesterday!” Kairi laughs.

“Yeah, but that was like, almost an entire day ago,” Sora pouts. “That’s way too long!”

“As much as I like having my own space… I agree,” Riku says. His heart is light; he never feels better than when they’re all together. And now that the dark storm cloud of confusion and indecision is gone from their relationship, their time together is better than ever.

“You two are so sappy,” Kairi says, but Riku can see that she’s smiling. Riku squeezes Sora’s hand, and Sora smiles up at him; on Sora’s other side, Kairi is still clearly happy.

As long as they’re together, Riku thinks he can do anything.

“I’m just saying what I feel!” Sora protests. Riku chuckles.

“We all feel the same,” he reassures Sora. “You’re just… very forthright about it.”

Sora scrunches up his face like he’s trying to figure out if that’s a compliment or not. Riku smiles at him and Sora’s gaze softens into something adorably loving.

“Yeah! I _am_ forthright about how I feel,” Sora says proudly. “And I _feel_ that today is going to be the best day, ever.”

“That’s setting up some high expectations,” Kairi points out.

“I think we can meet them,” Riku says confidently.

Both of the others laugh. Sora’s eyes are bluer than the sky above them; Kairi’s voice is sweeter than anything Riku’s ever eaten. They’re so perfect. He’s so full of love when he looks at them; so full of dreams and promises, and _so_ grateful that they got their chance, despite all the odds stacked against them.

“Yeah,” Sora says. “Yeah, I think we can.”


End file.
